MBD3 has been identified as a component of the NuRD/Mi2 complex that shows chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylase activities. MBD3 MBD is necessary and sufficient for binding to HDAC1 and MTA2, two components of the NuRD/Mi2 complex. It has been suggested that mCpG-binding-defective MBD3 has evolutionarily conserved its MBD because of the secondary role played by the MBD in protein-protein interactions.